Trenton police investigating multiple homicides, car crash

TRENTON — Violence erupted in the city Saturday night leaving three people dead, authorities said.

The wave of violence began in the city’s East Ward late Saturday and continued into Sunday morning leaving much of East State Street impassable during the investigation.

People driving down South Olden Avenue slowed to a crawl to watch curiously as police collected evidence from the scene that spanned from the 1100 to the 800 block of East State Street for much of the afternoon Sunday.

At 11:14 p.m. Saturday, Trenton Police responded to a shots-fired call in the area of East State Street and Olden Avenue.

Detective Edgar Rios found 52-year-old Barry Church, of Trenton, slumped over on the front steps of 1158 East State Street, First Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.

“He sustained an apparent gun shot wound to the underarm area,” said Onofri. “He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.”

It appears that Church was an innocent bystander, Onofri said Sunday afternoon. Several items were recovered from the area, but Onofri declined to specify what the items were.

Detectives could be seen recovering evidence Sunday morning near a black barrier that blocked the view of the steps where Church’s body was found.

At the same time the shooting occurred police received a report of a two pedestrians struck by a car in the 800 block of East State Street.

Officers arrived on that scene to find that a blue Chevrolet Blazer being driven by Hassan Allen, 22, of Trenton had struck multiple parked cars, a 22-year-old Trenton woman and a 23-year-old Philadelphia woman before it overturned.

Police discovered Allen inside of the vehicle with a gunshot wound to his neck. On Sunday afternoon the prosecutor’s office said preliminary indications showed the bullet entered Allen’s back and traveled upwards towards his neck. The official cause and trajectory of the bullet are pending autopsy. Allen was pronounced dead at Capital Health Regional Medical Center. According to Onofri, Allen drove the blazer after being shot in the 1100 block of East State Street. It appeared that Allen lost consciousness while striking the parked cars and both pedestrians.

An 18-year-old who was shot in the leg and ankle showed up at Capital Health Regional Medical Center while the other incidents were under investigation. Investigators believe the shooting on East State Street is connected to both the 18-year-old’s wounds and the death of Hassan Allen.

Both women who were struck by the Blazer were rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where the 22-year-old woman is listed in stable condition. The 23-year-old Philadelphia woman, identified as Carmen Wright underwent extensive trauma surgery to relieve pressure on her brain. She also underwent surgery for tibia and fibula fractures, a pelvic fracture and extensive internal organ bruising.

“It appears that the 23-year-old was thrown, airborne, many feet from the initial impact,” Onofri said.

The violence showed no sign of stopping when a third person was stabbed multiple times on Sunday morning in the area of the 300 block of Chambers Street across from Trenton Central High School.

“He arrived at the hospital with what are believed to be wounds to the stomach area,” Onofri said. “That individual succumbed to the wounds at approximately 8:45.”

By 11 p.m. Sunday the victim was identified as 21-year-old Abraham Jeditoe of Hamilton Township man. Investigators have identified a suspect, Onofri said. No description was available, however.

On Saturday police were investigating the early morning shooting death of 20-year-old Nyquan Owens. He was killed on the 300 block Brunswick Avenue in the city’s North Ward around 1:47 a.m. A motive was not known in his death and the suspect was only described as an unknown black male.

The explosion of weekend violence left four people dead and pushed past the number of homicides recorded last year. The crimes remain under investigation, the prosecutor’s office said.

There were 24 homicides in 2011 and again in 2012. Trenton’s worst year on record for homicides was in 2005, when 31 murders were recorded amid rampant gang violence. In all, the city has recorded 27 homicides since the beginning of this year.

Anyone with information regarding the crimes can call the Trenton Police confidential tipline at (609) 989-3663 or the Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477.

Those wishing to text a tip regarding the crimes can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.